CHAT is a nonprofit that believes in accessible, inclusive services to help anyone communicate, regardless of their socio-economic status or any other demographic factor. We are committed to providing services that address the depth and breadth of communication needs. Armed with the knowledge of systemic inequities reflected in our education, health care, and criminal legal systems, CHAT is the place for a social justice-minded clinician, and the perfect partner for an organization or school that shares our values.
What we believe/CHAT’s mission
CHAT uniquely centers our work in what we call “Communication Justice,” our work to effect change for under-resourced and under-represented people whose communication disorders and differences contribute to their inequitable treatment. While we believe that everyone has a voice and that every individual deserves access to cutting-edge speech therapy, systems of violence including racism, homophobia, and income inequality target the individuals we serve and their communities, barring them from much-needed services. While others in the field of speech-language pathology may view social justice as tangential to their work, it is fundamental to CHAT’s approach to care.
Who we serve
In our schools, we serve students who are at risk of falling behind, of having difficulty learning to read and reading to learn, and of underperforming on standardized tests. We serve children who are often overlooked and underserved, including children of color and those whose families can’t pay for outside services. We also serve students whose struggles in school put them at a greater likelihood of getting caught up in the school-to-confinement pipeline and dropping out of school.
As we grow and become more involved in the communities that surround us, we are continually developing partnerships with community organizations that align with our mission to help us reach more of the individuals who need us most.
One such community partner is the Childcare Network of Evanston (CNE), through which we serve eight daycare centers in the city of Evanston. We provide language enrichment programs in classrooms, speech/language screeners and evaluations, and clinical services to children who need it. By bringing our clinical services directly to these daycare centers we reduce the burden placed on caregivers and families to seek out and access these services, instead working within their already established routines.
Across our services, we serve juveniles involved in the criminal legal system, youth experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic abuse, and other vulnerable, overlooked, or misunderstood populations who need therapy and may not otherwise have access.
How we help/support
As the only nonprofit dedicated to speech and language services in greater Chicagoland, what makes us so different is our commitment to the principles of justice, equity, and inclusion.
Within our organization, we continually ask ourselves how we are personally, professionally, and operationally embodying these values. This continual self-assessment allows us to authentically provide our services to the broader community from a shared sense of equity and justice. These principles extend into everything we do, from the way we stay informed and proactive about existing and emerging issues of equity related to our field; to the use of culturally competent, inclusive language in communications; to the ways we engage in community outreach to build partnerships with values-aligned organizations, and so much more.
CHAT makes change in the world by bridging the gaps of inequity through our services; we cultivate relationships with our employees, clients/students, families, and the wider community that are rooted in collective values of equity and inclusion. CHAT is committed to meeting our clients where they’re at — reaching them through our clinic, at their schools, and in the case of our Early Intervention services, directly in their homes.
Through our speech therapy services, we chip away at the systemic barriers that disadvantage these individuals and provide them with the communication tools needed for self-advocacy and success.
How you can help
If you would like to help us bring our life-changing therapy to more children, please consider donating or getting involved as a volunteer. If you are a like-minded organization that would like to partner with us, please contact Brittany Armstrong Sowle, CHAT's Chief Clinical and People Officer.